Functional elements which can also be termed function carriers, such as for example nuts and bolts are attached to sheet metal parts, for example in automobile construction, in order to be able to connect the most diverse components to the sheet metal parts.
A method for the attachment of a functional element to a sheet metal part is known from DE 196 47 831 A1 in which sheet metal material is brought into a hooked engagement with an undercut feature of the functional element by means of a one-piece shaping die against which the functional element is pressed with the sheet metal part lying between them.
Furthermore it is known to connect metal sheets to one another without using additional connection elements by pressing the metal sheets against a die and drawing them by means of a plunger in the direction of a fixed anvil. Moveable lamella of the die which are arranged to the side of the anvil yield and move radially outwardly when the sheet metal part reaches the anvil. In this way a round collar arises which locks the metal sheets to one another.